--Overdone

      It is hard to be zany Gremlin these days. I see what is happening in our country and feel my heart break. I wish this were the cliché it sounds like, but alas, it is not. There is an attack on what Overload represents at its most basic level. I have always believed in the principles of the U.S.A. but now, we have lost our way. Since a certain orange troll has returned to the White House, in an election I truly think was questionable. Not like his claims to 2020 but real statistical anomalies showing in real studies. Uh, I digress.

     Since Chump’s return, we have seen comedians attacked, Americans beaten, terrorized, killed by masked thugs, news suppressed, and a disassociation from the truth like never before. Say their names: Renee Nicole Good, Alex Pretti, Reuben Ray Martinez, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez...not to mention the untold numbers in the camps, detention centers, gassed on the streets. I could go on with this and I don’t mean to disregard any of it but there is so much, I just cannot stay with this and have enough room to publish it. Wars, against other peoples in the world and here against citizens and immigrants whether legal or not. What it all boils down to is the worst of humanity gaining a foothold in our nation and the world on a level similar to the Third Reich. This is not hyperbole.

     So what is the real topic today? One near and dear to my heart. You saw the illustration. The first amendment. What is happening? How many of you can quote the first amendment?

     Forget quoting and just name the five components and think about their importance.

     Religion, people have the right to their beliefs and to all those who say “this country was founded on Christian principles”, you are totally, and completely, wrong. You just are. The men who wrote the constitution and the bill of rights knew this. And my fellow Christians, so did Jesus. Don’t believe me? Then you need to learn to read your book. Freedom of religion and separation of church and state are in that amendment, I know, those living in ignorance like to say it does not say separation of church and state. Jefferson explained it in a letter to a church of all things. But read the amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” . When I say Jesus, there are numerous examples but this one always comes to my mind,"...Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." That is not just about taxes, he was saying religion and politics should not mix. As a historian, I can honestly say this has been proven time and again.

     The other four parts are intimately entwined, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Right of Assembly, and Right to petition and redress grievances with the government. Though those that support this current group of reprobates in power often complained about these freedoms, they seem to think it means only for them and everyone else should be silenced. Wrong, in a democracy, all have a say and then decisions are to be made as a group. That includes representative democracy folks.

     When you have a President who says people should not be allowed to say anything against him, he is wrong, and an overgrown, spoiled, child. We have seen the chairman of the FCC threaten networks and individuals on the orange baby man’s behalf. They tried to go after people who made tasteless comments after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Guess what all extreme right wingnuts, that is acceptable. What would you do if the same happened to you? How about if Fox News were threatened with shut down by the government because they said something an opposing politician did not like? How quickly imagined slights while claiming cancel culture are forgotten, to hypocritically start censoring.

     Like the days Jimmy Kimmel was off air because of an imagined mean word about the death of C. Kirk. But wait, there’s more.

     This week, the worst on the road to authoritarianism finally happened. We witnessed the last episode of Late Night with Stephen Colbert. I am sure there are those out there saying who cares, but the death of first amendment freedoms is slowly marching on. And when the ability to question, dispute, debate and yes, poke fun at those in positions of power is suppressed, fined, threatened and outright stopped, we are rolling down that road to hell. Think of Stalin, Hitler and even fictional characters like Palpatine. Their takeovers happened because people started believing what they said and that nothing could be done to prevent it. As a historian I say this, wake up, it is happening.

      Stephen, if you ever read this, you are a hero of putting the spotlight on the worst, while making us laugh and question with you. To my fellow Americans, even if I disagree with you, I will defend your freedoms with my last breath, all I ask is that everyone remember this and return the courtesy. We are on a very dark path which can still be stopped. Disagreement does not make us enemies. It makes us Americans with an opportunity, to learn from each other and overcome together, as we always have.